Territory



(No Model.)

CONVERTIBLE GAR SBA-T.

Patented Nov'. 22, 1892.

A TTOHNE YS.

(No Model.)

GONVERTIBLBCAR SBA'L /NvE/vro A TTOHNEYS.

ma Nonnvs amena co.. s-Hofcnrlwn..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM II. STEACY, OF OGDEN, UTAH TERRITORY.

CONVERTIBLE CAR-SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.v486,742, dated November22, 1892.

Application filed February 24, 1892. Serial No. 422 ,610. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, 'WILLIAM H. STEACY, of Ogden, in the county of Veberand Territory of Utah, have invented new and Improved ConvertibleCar-Seats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in seats for railwaypassenger-cars; and the object of my invention is to produce an easyseat, which will cost but little, if any, more than the ordinary seatsof railway-cars, and to construct the seat so that two adjacent seatsmay be easily converted into two berths, thus providing comfortable bedsfor travelers at but very little, if any, eXtra expense.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of constructionand combinations of parts, which Will be hereinafter described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of two seats embodying my invention,showing the same as applied to a car, the car being in section on theline 1 1 in Fig. 3, the view showing the position of the seats whenadapted for day use. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but with the seatsconverted into berths. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3 in Fig.2. Fig. 4. is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, of the insidesupport for the upper berth; and Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view ofthe outside support for the same.

The seat 10 has supporting-legs 11 and an arm 12, and this framework otthe seat may be of any of the usual kinds. The seats are arranged inpairs, so that each pair will face each other and each seat shall beopposite a car-window, and between each pair of seats is a verticalrigid partition 13, and the back 14 'of each seat is hinged at the top,as shown at 15, to the top edge of the adjacent vertical partition 13,so that the back may dropdown into a nearly-vertical butslightly-inclined position, as shown in Fig. 1, thus forming aconvenient seat-back; or it may be swung up into a horizontal position,as shown in Fig. 2, thus forming one end of the upper berth.

The seats are provided with the usual upholstered bottom 16 and withextra cushions 17, which are used when the seats are converted int-oberths. When the seat-backs 14 are tipped up into a horizontal position,they are supported on the inner sides by a springcatch 18, which isarranged so as to come opposite the free edges of the two seat-backs, as

in Fig. 2, the catch being secured to the Wall of the car, and the outersides of the seatbacks are supported by rods 19, the upper ends of whichenter sockets 20, formed in outwardly-swinging arms 2l, pivoted to theseat-backs, the lower ends of the rods being seated in sockets 22,secured to the car-floor. The object of the swinging arms 21 is toenable the sockets 20 to be brought slightly outside of the seat-back14, as shown in Fig. 5; but the sockets may be formed rigidly on theseatback, if desired. Instead of the rods 19 for supporting theseat-backs 14 rods 19a may be hinged to the seat-backs, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 2, the lower ends of the rods being made to rest onthe arms or other portions of the seats. Y

To enable a p continuous mattress to be formed for the bottom berth,cross-bars 23 are used and arranged as in a Pullman car-that is to say,they are placed between two adjacent seats with their ends resting onthe seatframe-and the cushions 16 may thus be pushed out upon thecross-bars, as shown in Fig. 2, and the extracushion 17 may be placedupon the seats, as shown in the same ligure, the cushions 16 and 17 thusforming a continuous mattress.

Then the seats are arranged for day use, the seat-backs 14 are droppeddown in the manner described, the cushions 16 are placed upon the seats10, so thatthe passengers may sit upon them, and the extra cushions 17,the supporting-rods 19, and the cross-bars 23 are packed beneath andbehind the seats, so as to be out of the way.

The partitions 13 are made high enough so that when the seat-backs areswung upward to form the upper bert-hs there will be sufficient spacebetween them and the lower cushions for people to conveniently occupyboth berths. To form the upper berth, the seatbacks are swung up andfastened in the manner described, and the two adjacent backs 14 Willform an easy mattress for the upper berth. It will be understood thatmovable partitions IOO may be placed above the partitions 13, as isusually done in Pullman cars, and bedding may be provided for the twoberths, and the berths may be provided with curtains hung in front ofthem, so as to shield the occupants from observation.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the seatsconstructed as described are extremely simple, so that they will costbut little, if any, more than an ordinary carseat, and it will also beunderstood that they may be very easily converted into berths.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the seat-frames and thepartitions, of the seat-backs hinged at their upper edges to thepartitions and provided With sockets 20, the removable rods 19 to restat their upper ends in said sockets, and the sockets 22 for the lowerends of the rods, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the seat-frames and the. partitions, of' theseat-backs hinged at their upper edges to the partitions and providedwith swinging arms 21, having sockets 20, lower sockets 22, andremovablerods 19 to engage said sockets with their opposite ends.

3. The combination, with the seat-frames 'and the cross-piece 23 forconnecting them,

when the seats lare moved outward, substanv tially as set forth.

l WILLIAM H. STEACY. Witnesses:

WM. BINFoRD, M. BUCHMILLER.

